Readers' comments

Can the technique distinguish cancer from tumours of blood vessels i.e. angiomas which are mostly benign? Has the technique been tested in a full range of inflammatory and other benign skin conditions of which there are scores? No word about subtype of cancer. Basal cell carcionoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, carcinoma arising from sweat glands, metastasis from carcinoma elsewhere in the body, sarcoma i.e.malignancy arising in the soft tissue all with vastly differing implications. In short cancer is not one disease which you would expect an A level biology school child to know. Many skin biopsies are made with punch biopsy forceps which are no more than a couple of mm's in width. The technique sounds as if it might have a role in determining resection margins - that is if it can be applied to awkward areas e.g. on the face or the eyelids for example.
This article is no better than the usual journalist claptrap about cancer "breakthroughs" most of which disappear never to be heard of again.Editors, most of whom probably flunked scientific subjects and know no better have to rely on any old flunky "expert" but they just LOVE exciting sounding techniques because it makes good copy. Read Bad Science by Ben Goldacre to get a good account of this.
But basically a serious journal like the Economist should get itself a decent medical reporter with at least SOME insight into what they are reporting. Judging by who appears on your audio/visual offerings they seem to have just about every other conceivable type of editor / reporter.

I wonder how many biopsies aren't followed by cancer-removal surgeries. Possibly the main benefit of laser imagery might be better, faster diagnoses. Despite the presumably costly equipment, laser might become cheaper than processing tissue samples and having a specialist interpret the results.

These new techniques for finding cancerous cells and tumors is great. Especially since there is no need for skin removal or laboratory testing. Simply to study an image of what is happening under the skin. Although is it really better to prevent or to cure? At this point, I think it would be better if it would be to put the efforts in order to find a cure, or at least a method to ameliorate the conditions of cancerous cells. Once a cure or an effective treatment is found, then procede to the preventive stages.